May 20, 2025, 9:16 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Since December 2022, the city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg has held a unique record. The Imax theater “Traumpalast” boasts the largest movie screen in the world, a title confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. The dimensions of this gigantic projection screen even surpass the wingspan of one of the largest passenger airplanes.
Hand on heart, dear readers: What do you know about the southern German city of Leonberg? Sure, many of you could probably say right away that it’s in Baden-Württemberg. You might also know that the Leonberger dog breed is named after the town. But would you have guessed that you can find a genuine world record holder here? Indeed, the local Imax theater “Traumpalast” boasts the largest cinema screen in the world, and its astonishing dimensions have even earned it a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Since December 6, 2022, the title for the world’s largest cinema screen in Leonberg has been confirmed by the record book, as stated on the official website. The dimensions of this gigantic projection surface are astounding: it measures a total of 814.8 square meters, with a width of 38.8 meters and a height of 21 meters. This easily overshadows the wingspan of a Boeing 737, one of the largest passenger planes. Previously, the record was held by the Imax theater in Sydney, which closed in 2016 due to major renovations.
Two World Records at Once
According to Tobias Mattl, Head of Marketing for the operating company “Filmtheaterbetriebe Lochmann,” the idea for the superlative came to senior manager Heinz Lochmann back in 2015. A year later, the “Traumpalast” opened, and after a successful start, it was clear they wanted to achieve the record. “Mr. Lochmann believed in it so much that he even used money from his retirement savings,” Mattl told TRAVELBOOK. An extension was built onto the existing cinema specifically for the record-breaking Imax in Leonberg. “I can’t say the exact costs, but it was much more expensive than planned.”
The world’s largest cinema screen in Leonberg was already put into operation on September 30, 2021. The grand premiere featured the James Bond film “No Time to Die.” To officially confirm the world record in December 2022, a complex measurement of the screen area was conducted using the latest laser technology. Since then, the Leonberg cinema holds two Guinness World Records. The gigantic screen is also the largest Imax screen in existence.
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Curiously, the application to the Guinness Book was actually only for the latter title, as stated in a press release from the Lochmann family. However, the official measurement revealed that Leonberg indeed has the largest cinema screen on our planet. Company founder Heinz Lochmann said after the recognition of the superlative, “A dream comes true in the Traumpalast. It doesn’t get any better than this.” Achieving such a project during the COVID-19 pandemic was remarkable. They wanted to offer people something special and provide a small escape from everyday life.
The auditorium with the world’s largest cinema screen has 600 seats, and the “Traumpalast” in Leonberg offers several other rooms. The Imax is part of an entertainment center that also includes bowling alleys and a restaurant. Since its opening, several hundred thousand visitors have come to watch a film on the world-record projection surface. In 2021, the cinema also launched a unique project called “Bed Cinema,” a theater with 20 double beds from which you can watch movies in complete comfort. “This is particularly popular with influencers,” Mattl said.